


Johnrose Week

by LastNameWasTaken



Category: Homestuck, MS Paint Adventures
Genre: F/M, Johnroseweek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-15
Updated: 2017-10-30
Packaged: 2019-01-06 01:01:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12200823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LastNameWasTaken/pseuds/LastNameWasTaken
Summary: Prompt fills for Johnrose Week.





	1. Favorite Pesterlog

**Author's Note:**

> I am BACK
> 
> For JOHNROSE WEEK
> 
> So, something to keep in mind throughout the week: I hit writers block for some of these, so let’s say once you see a dip in quality… well, you’ll know. Also, while I don’t know if this will be prophetic or not, some prompts might be a bit late. So… yeah. Regardless, enjoy!
> 
> Prompt 1: Favorite Pesterlog 
> 
> Quick Comment: Wasn’t really sure how I could translate this into fic form, so I decided to go the easy route and think about what Rose was thinking before the actual pesterlog happened. Otherwise I felt like I would be cheating :V

Looking at LOLAR while hungover was the visual equivalent of overloading on sugar on Halloween night. Everything was too bright, too pretty, too damn sparkly. The glitchy bullshit certainly didn’t help, or was that just her drunk mind? Terezi mentioned them so maybe that part wasn’t her. Then again Terezi only recently healed her eyes, so maybe that was just just her getting used to seeing again. But that would make little sense. Why would she seeing the same very things Rose was seeing?

Rose could only sigh. She was losing grasp on her abilities, her relationships, her damn identity. Who was she now? Ever since she touched that bottle she became a wreck. If she could have just brought herself to interact with Kanaya like a normal human being and not act like a drunken bimbo things would have been better. Part of her wondered if Kanaya even liked her now, or if she just took care of drunken idiot Rose in hopes real Rose would surface and actually talk with her. 

But no, real Rose was too much of a coward to talk with her girlfriend in any real way. And she knew why; real Rose ruined every relationship she had by being passive aggressive and insincere. It happened with Kanaya, it happened with Dave, it happened with the Kismesistude she tried and failed to manage. That’s probably why Terezi didn’t want to talk to her. Not only did they never really interact but she let her relationship with Gamzee fester to toxic levels. Yes Rose, try to act like the best friend to a troll who you failed to form actual connection with and failed to help, that’ll work _great_!

Ugh, she needed a drink.

The glitchy stuff was getting worse. She had found Terezi’s shades and put them on, expecting them to help in some way, but all it really did was make things slightly dimmer and add a red tint. Maybe that was how Trolls handled blindness, in their alien biology. She could tell Terezi was glaring at her for the shades, on top of everything else. 

But then, about as unexpected as you can get, a breeze came through. A nice, cool breeze that swept away the pixelated garbage and made her feel… at peace. She could feel her headache subsiding, and now she could actually appreciate LOLAR for what it was. Well, it was still frustratingly bright and sparkly, but now it wasn’t giving her eyes hell or making her want to vomit. It actually felt nostalgic. 

She noticed a blue trail, not something she could really recognize as native to LOLAR, but it also seemed familiar? The trail gathered over the broken wizard statue she remembered from long ago, his hand and hat still broken and his face cracked. But as she watched the trail become a cloud, she began to recognize it. She watched, wide eyed as it took on a familiar shape. A shape she had only seen twice.

John perched above her and Terezi, a familiar friendly smile upon his face. 

“Hi Rose!” He greets with a wave. “Nice Shades.”

There were quite a few things going through Rose’s head once she saw him. The surprise at his entrance, the familiar yet mature face that now greeted her like a new logo, and the saudade that came from his absence now gone. God, it just occurred to her how much she missed him; her old friend that she used to talk for days on end. The friend who always saw the best in her, and the friend she _didn’t_ screw up with. The friend she needed right now. 

She smiles. “Thanks, John.”


	2. Childhood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose gets fed up with knitting and tries to blow off some steam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO I suppose I should post this now and not wait another day.
> 
> First off: I apologize for the wait. I had some trouble with some of prompts because the anxiety™ kept saying ‘hmm no this probably isn’t good enough’. At the very least I’m going to try and finish up the rest of the prompt by Saturday. Now, whether or not I’m going to post Tuesday-Thursday prompts today… we’ll see. 
> 
> And since I kind of consider 12-13 to still be childhood, I hope this prompt actually works.
> 
> Also, formatting the pesterlog was a BITCH.

There must have been some underlying aspect of passive-aggression in this gift. There was no way John would have given her a gateway to a hobby so frustrating and time consuming as knitting if he didn’t want to curse her. Her fingers were sore from her nails digging into her skin and her eyes strained. She kept loosing her threads or loosening threads and her stitching was either too tight _or_ too loose.

 _Shit._ The threads finally gave way after all her jabbing and pulling. Isn’t yarn supposed to be sturdy?

Frustrated, she threw away the shoddy scarf and the kitting kit with it. She wished she had wood flooring in her room so she could hear the satisfying clack the needles made when they hit the floor. Rose didn’t mind the challenge of a new hobby, but she was surprised by just how challenging it actually was. Wasn’t this something old grandmothers did? She never knew, she never had one, but she knew John did. Did she knit and John got her the knitting kit as some sort of… gesture? But, no, that couldn’t make sense no matter how she tried to cut it.

She sits cross-legged on her bed, looking at the discarded knitting kit with a scowl. She couldn’t let that kit of needles and yarn beat her. She was Rose Lalonde! No matter what challenge presents itself, she _always_ came out on top.

Still, she needed a break. She would try again harder and much better next time.

With a huff, she gets off her bed and walks to her laptop, stepping over the knitting kit with distain. She couldn’t give the kit the satisfaction of a kick across the room, that’s what it wanted. She opens up her laptop, checking pesterchum. Seems John is the only one active. She had no idea what Dave and Jade could be doing, but she didn’t dwell on it.

ghostyTrickster [GT] began pestering tentacleTherapist [TT]

TT: Hello.

TG: oh hey rose!

TG: how’s it going?

TT: Fine for the most part. The other part is me getting my ass handled to me by a pair of needles and some yarn.

TT: I thought I could get my mind off of the sneaky woven ropes of cotton and wool by talking with the mastermind himself.

TG: well, you know how i love torture people with yarn.

TG: also i think the yarn that came with the kit was synthetic wool, so it’s probably not made of wool and cotton.

TT: I used up the yarn that originally came with the kit. Recently I bought some new yarn that is made of Wool and cotton.

TG: whoa really?

TG: what’d you make?

TT: A very, very bad scarf.

TT: I would send you a picture but I sent the scarf to it’s rightful home. A snug little fireplace where it can settle down and have a family of equally ugly and poorly crafted scarves, until they eventually move out and become consumed by the fires and turn to ash.

TG: what happened to the original scarf?

TT: It turns to ash too.

TT: I got lost in the metaphor and forgot about the forbearer.

TT: Speaking of forebearers, I wanted to ask about your grandmother.

TG: oh, my nanna?

TG: well, sure. ask away. i mean i don’t have everything about her but go ahead.

TT: Did she knit at all? That’s something that old women do once they retire and get too old, right?

TG: um

TG: i actually don’t know.

TG: she never seemed like the type to knit. i think she mostly just pulled pranks and joked a lot.

TG: why?

TT: Somehow I got it into my head that you sent me a knitting kit as some sort of gesture.

TG: pfft. what kind of gesture?

TT: I don’t know. I suppose it’s just me being me.

TT: On the other hand I am interested about the idea of having a grandmother.

TT: Even if she sits atop your fireplace in an urn.

TT: It must be nice to have a older kinsman around you so often; figuratively of course.

TG: you don’t have a grandma?

TT: No, I thought I told you that.

TG: you mentioned you didn’t have a dad and that your mom wasn’t married, but you never mentioned grandparents.

TG: although i guess i can’t blame you, since i don’t have a grandpa.

TG: i tried asking my dad about him but he didn’t seem to want to share.

TG: i guess either my grandpa was a jerk and dad doesn’t want to talk about it, or he’s dead and my dad still doesn’t want to talk about it.

TG: then there’s no one on my non-existent mom side, heh.

TT: Seems odd that neither of use have a second parental figure, isn’t it?

TT: Then again, neither do Dave and Jade.

TT: I’ve always wondered where their parents were.

TG: maybe they died?

TT: Maybe.

TT: Maybe they were born in labs?

TG: haha yeah from slime!

TG: or maybe they were born from space.

TG: like they crash landed here.

TT: Clearly. What human being would go around wearing shades in doors?

TG: pointy anime shades too.

TG: you’d have to crazy to wear those in public!

TT: I’m glad you gave him those Ben Stiller shades. At the very least, his air of irony will seem only slightly less ridiculous with shades from a

TT: I honestly have a hard time seeing Dave’s bro as ‘cool’ with pointy shades, a tucker hat, and a katana.

TT: He looks more like a washed up anime fanboy.

TT: I’ve always thought that if my mother was hiding my extended family from me, then it was either because they disowned her for whatever reason or she herself was ashamed of them.

TG: i guess that does make sense. i mean, i’m still convinced my non-existent mom was either killed in a freak circus accident or is in a circus.

TG: i guess i should be more torn up about it, but i guess since i don’t know her or even if she exists, it doesn’t really bother me?

TG: is that weird?

TT: I don’t think it is. I suppose I could try to psychoanalyze your non-existent mother issues, but I’m afraid I haven’t read about the psychological issues that come with the absence of never knowing another parent.

TT: And personally, I never questioned the absence of a father beyond the standard theories and speculation.

TT: Grandparents, however, I still wonder about.

TT: Along with the textile hobbies they adopt with age.

TT: But I do wonder, why knitting of all things?

TG: well, i guess i got you the knitting kit because i heard it was hard?

TG: and i know you like challenges, so i figured it would be something you could enjoy just for that.

TG: computer programming is hard, but I still like it! even if i’m not very good at it.

TG: plus i was sure you could make some really cool things for yourself after a lot of practice.

TG: better than i could be be at programming.

TG: and, you know, you could always make something nice for your friends. ;)

TT: I suppose.

TT: Knitting does have it’s perks, even if it’s infuriatingly difficult.

TT: It is nice to let your thoughts flow as you’re doing it. It’s like writing, but without the added effects of writer’s block and more cramping fingers.

TG: that’s the spirit!

TG: are you going to tackle those sneaky ropes of intertwined wool and cotton now?

TT: Maybe I should. It’s been a good fifteen minutes.

Rose logs off, stretching her back and cracks her knuckles. A good fifteen minute break. She wouldn’t let that kit beat her, not today at least. She would start over and do it again, better this time. She turns to look at the knitting kit, still strewn across the floor. Okay, knitting kit. Ready for another round? 


	3. Headcanon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John and Rose go on a double date and Rose tries to teach John how to skate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m very bad at headcanons and I don’t think most of my other ones made for an interesting read… so how about this? 
> 
> Also, this was going to be longer but I decided to cut it for time/convenience.

The ice rink was chilly, but it’s to be expected. The winter version of Roller blades was always something Rose excelled at. It was flashy, beautiful, and challenging. Roller Blades was never something she was great at, at least not great enough to beat Dave. Ice skating was her speciality, and she knew how bad Dave was. Jade had suggested it, a double date on the ice rink, to which John and Rose agreed. Dave couldn’t sway the majority. Therefore, now they could compete on her turf, and he would have no way to deny her. 

The initial date started simple: lunch and talking, but no matter how much Dave tried2 he couldn’t avoid his fate, They made their ways over to the ice rink, which was already teeming with other skaters. Mostly couples, from the looks of it, but she could see a few families on the sidelines. They put on their skates, Dave complaining all the way, rslidingmout into the ring. 

Rose, in a burst of showmanship, shot out into the rink like a bullet. As per normal the middle of the rink was mostly empty, giving her plenty of space to skate and show off, right in the center so Dave could see her hog the spotlight. Maybe she was no figure skater, but among people who struggled with their balance she was impressive. 

She could see Dave flopping in the corner of her eye. She smirked, hearing Jade’s cadence of laughter while Dave cursed under his breath, embarrassed. Turning, she noticed John had been balancing himself on the wall since she had slid out into the ring. She frowned, realizing that she had prioritized embarrassing and one-upping Dave over her boyfriend. Skating back to him, she tapped his shoulder. 

“Are you alright?” She asks, grasping his arm. 

“Uh, sort of.” He said,”I think I got the balance down, it’s the control part that scares me.” 

“Oh, it’s pretty much the same thing.” She says, “Here, let me help.” 

She grabbed his hand, leading him out away from the wall. John wobbled a bit, but he seemed to be holding himself pretty well. Clearly he was a little put off by the smoothness of the ice. It almost felt too wrong, like every event in life that feels too good to be true and you’re waiting for the catch. 

“Bend your knees. That’ll even out your weight.” She instructs, and John obeys. He wobbles again, and she grasps his other hand with her other free hand. Now they were holding onto each other like a mirror, and if she were observing herself she was certian she’d laugh. “It’s like Roller Skating, but the ground is smoother. You won’t hit as as many roadblocks, so no need to be afraid of falling.” 

“It still hurts though, right? Especially with the ice.” 

“Not as much as you think. At the very least, if you fall really hard, you’ll just get miniature icicles stuck in your hands or embedded in your sweater. Those melt fast too, so you don’t have to worry about lasting effects.” 

“When did you ever get icicles stuck in your hands? 

”I was about twelve. Didn’t pay attention and ended up bumping into someone, chasing me to unceremoniously fall to the ground like a slapstick comedy routine. In fact I slid across the floor until I hit the nearby wall. It’s still not my proudest moment.” 

John laughs. ”How the hell did you slide all the way across the floor?” 

She scoffs.”The physics of my blunder are not important, John. However, getting you to skate is.” 

“Okay. So, uh, how do I move forward?” He asked, wobbling a bit. 

“It’s actually very simple.” She explains, ”Just push with your dominant leg and put all your weight on the leg that’s in front. Then—” 

John pushes with his left leg, sliding forward but instinctively straightening his leg. Unfortunately, Rose was unprepared for John to move so suddenly, making her loose her footing and back away just enough for John to be pulled a bit too forward, making him slip and fall to the floor. Rose, still holding onto his hands, fell too, getting the wind knocked out of her. Despite the pain that came with it, she couldn’t help but laugh. Laugh at the stupid slapstick coincidences found herself in. John began laughing too, and they stayed like that for a bit until she finally mustered the strength to get up again.


	4. Casey/Viceroy Bubbles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John and Rose have an argument over Casey/Viceroy Bubbles’ name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (COMES IN AT LIGHTENING SPEED)  
> WHO ORDERED TWO LATE ENTIRES FOR JOHNROSEWEEK?  
> Not gonna lie, like I mentioned I had some trouble with entries (even decided to skip one because I couldn’t figure out how to translate it into fic form) but hey, better late than never ;o  
> Besides, I had to finish this before leeten month comes around…

John and Rose don’t usually get into fights, but when they do, it’s a struggle. Between their stubbornness it’s a battle to the near death. An argument over Casey/Viceroy Bubbles and… well, you have a recipe for a passive aggressive battle 

“ _Her_ name is Casey!” John exclaims. 

“ _His_ name is Viceroy Bubbles von Salamancer!“ Rose retorts, crossing her arms. Casey/Viceroy Bubbles was sitting between them, blowing bubbles and seemingly oblivious to the argument between their two “parents”. It had been going on for a good two hours now, though Casey/Viceroy Bubbles didn’t seem to care. And why would they? They measured time on completely different scales than humans. Besides, as much they loved their two parents, Casey/Viceroy Bubbles didn’t much care for either name. Maybe it was the lack of naming conventions back in their own culture that made them indifferent, among the _other_ lack of culture that didn’t relate to Fireflies and mushroom farming. 

”I’m the one who found her first, so her true name is Casey. Besides, Viceroy isn’t even a real name!” 

"Viceroy is a title. It’s a position of authority over a colony on behalf of a sovereign. Viceroy Bubbles is in charge of my Salamander Cult, making him a Viceroy of my own elections. Besides, if you can’t even get Viceroy Bubbles’ gender right, then maybe you don’t deserve to name her.” 

Rose crosses her arms, sitting back in her chair. John seemed to be legitimately taken aback by the comment, but he couldn’t go down yet. No, Rose was forgetting a key point to this. 

“How do _you_ know if Casey is a boy anyway?” He says, copying Rose’s posture by crossing his arms as well. ”Do you you have any _proof_?” Rose stiffens, realizing she lacked any concrete proof of the Salamender’s gender. It wasn’t like she had time to fact check; aren’t most amphibians psychically Androgynous? In retrospect she should’ve brushed up on her biology, it would have helped her. 

“No, but there’s no proof that Case–I mean Viceroy Bubbles couldn’t be one. Besides, it’s not as if it’s the most important aspect here.” 

“Important enough for you to say I had no right to name her.” John points out. ”Or Maybe you’re just running out of ideas.” 

“I _never_ run out of ideas.” Rose says. But maybe she’s was starting to see where he was coming from. It… _was_ hypocritical of her to suggest he had no right naming the Salamander when she didn’t even have concrete proof of the amphibian’s gender. Could she have come to a compromise? No, that would be admitting defeat, wouldn’t it? 

“… However, I _will_ say that the names we chose aren’t gender specific.” Rose continues. Okay, not complete defeat but instead offering a different point. She should try to look to this next time. 

John didn’t seem to be completely convinced, looking at her with a confused face. “Since when is Casey a boy’s name?” 

“More than you think. Casey Affleck, for example. Otherwise known as Ben Affleck’s brother.” She says. Admittedly she didn’t know who else, but the pop culture trivia question still proved her point. “In a similar vein, ‘Bubbles’ is a name that implies no gender. You can just as easily apply it to a male or female Salamander and get the same results.” 

“Well, I guess you’re right.” John says, patting Casey/Viceroy Bubbles on the head. They blew bubbles in response, presumably happy Bubbles at being noticed. “I guess… _maybe_ we can rename her Viceroy Casey Bubbles Von Salamancer. It’s a mouthful, but we can just call her Casey or Bubbles for short.” 

Rose nods. “I’m fine with that, as much as Viceroy Bubbles is superior.” 

“Hey, speaking of which, how do you figure out a Salamander’s gender?” 

Both of them decided it would better and less awkward _not_ to peruse this question.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recently I found out Viceroy is actually a title. Makes sense for Rose to give animals obscure titles, no?


	5. Favorite Moment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Lalondebound

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually like this one better than the last few, lol

Rose trekked down the tower with a detached, almost numb state of mind. The prospitians and dersities were either dead in one or more pieces, The living ones were huddled together in an attempt to hide from Jack, but she knew it wouldn’t be long until he found them. She thinks she should feel sympathy for the doomed residents, but she doubts it’ll be worth much. It didn’t do her mother any favors. 

She stepped on a transportalizer, one on a large disc like the Beat Mesa she had seen on Dave’s planet. She was teleported to a room similar to the one she had just been in, only now with the large, neon green curtains open. She walked down the dark hallway, unconcerned with the already drab interior. It wasn’t long until she ascended up white steps, and found herself on a white platform. 

With a blue windsock waiting for her. 

“Hi Rose! Wow, I did _not_ expect to find you here!” He greets, seemingly unfazed by her current state. Rose tries to say her hellos, but John just stares at her, confused. He comments on her current state. Rose tries to tell him about Jack, but it doesn’t seem to get to him. It’s only when he mentions her ‘Sillyspeak and Gobbledygook’ that she realizes the Grimdark has affected her speech. Frustrated, she curses, being glad her black speech censored her words by default. 

John mentions their parents, and she tries to tell him what happened. Jack killed our parents, Jack killed our parents, they’re laying dead at the top of this tower, hoping at least something got to him. John was fairly smart, but her garbled speech wasn’t getting to him. He becomes convinced they’re in trouble, saying they need to find them. Frustrated, Rose takes her her pillow out of her sylladex and screams muffled swears into the velvet cushion. He asks her if she can find them again, which she confirms with a downward look. 

She steps back onto the transportalizer, John in tow. Finding herself back in the main tower, she wordlessly walks past the bookshelves to the secret passageway, which now was the home of newly slain corpses. John, horrified, asks her what happens, which she quickly responds to. John seems to get the idea and repeats it back to her as if she were a dog, which only result in _another_ string of black curses screamed into her pillow. He actually compliments the pillow this time, which Rose accepts. Despite the bleakness of the current situation, she appreciates his optimism. It only makes her dread the coming steps. 

She leads him further up the tower, hearing John murmur “Oh no’s” to himself at the freshly slain and now rotting corpses. She pities him. He probably never saw this side of the game yet. She can’t remember if he even knew about the dead Daves yet, but she dreads even that. If he reacted like to this to a few people he didn’t know, one wonders how he’ll react to someone far more personal. 

“By the way,” John speaks up, stopping her in her tracks. “Did you know that Karkat think we are supposed to get married?” 

Confused, she tries to ask why. John initially takes her response the wrong way, trying to explain he only wanted to make things a little less tense. She can’t really blame him on that end, but he ends by saying they don’t actually have to get married, if she doesn’t want to. 

She doesn’t say anything to that, but she makes a mental note to keep the offer in mind. 

Continuing up the tower, Rose reaches the final stretch of their journey. Steeling herself, she leads John up the stairs to the roof of the tower. 

The grisly scene stands before them. Her mother dead on the ground, and his father parallel to her. Crimson blood was everywhere, giving the monochrome scene the only streaks of color; aside from her mother’s pink scarf which was now stained with blood. John just stares, not saying anything. Not to himself, and certainly not to her. She wants to say something, to tell him she’s sorry for letting this happen, but it won’t do any good. He couldn’t understand her in this state, and it’s not like anything she could have said would help. Their parents were never coming back. 

They didn’t have much time until Jack decided to step up with an intimidating glare, daring them to approach him or run. Instinctively, she takes her fighting stance, and John mirrors her. She can’t see tears or anything resembling grief, so her only guess is he’s now channeling his grief into anger towards Jack. 

She’s about to shout something, but in a green flash, Jack disappears, reappearing behind John. She wants to scream at him, but before she even has a chance to think, Jack unsheaths his sword and plunges it into John’s back. John doesn’t scream, make any noises. He just stands there in shock. Blood already oozing out his wound and staining his Godtier robe. He collapses with a muffled thud, his Pop-o-matic Vrillyhoo Hammer clattering to the floor. 

Rose looks on in shock, seeing her friend crumbled on the ground. She looked onto Jack, still looking at John’s body with his back turned to her. She felt the anger boiling up in her, at this consort that ruined everything. The consort that plagued her session and took what was scared to her. Gritting her teeth, she let out a blood curdling screech that caused him to turn to her. She lunged, intent on making sure this monster never took anything important from her again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last entry will be here by tomorrow. Let’s just say my idea for “what could have been” could be an AU on it’s own. But I gotta remind myself to keep it short :V


	6. What Could Have Been

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John decides to join the meteor crew

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT’S FINALLY DONE Y’ALL
> 
> This chapter got really long which is why it didn’t get posted yesterday. I mean, it’s no shorter but it’s probably the longest prompt. It’s more of an AU than an add-on, but hopefully that works ;o
> 
> Also, I had a lot of fun writing this, mostly because it’s 80% dialogue.

“John?” Rose said, which was also the first word to be uttered by anyone standing on the meteor after John unceremoniously jumped through a portal and fell face first on top of Karkat. A Karkat who, somehow, managed to land face first on the ground as well.

”Hey guys!” John greeted, waving his hand. “Uh—sorry about the entrance. But there was no way of telling you beforehand. Also, sorry Karkat.” 

John sheepishly helps himself up and wipes down his robes. Karkat was still face down, and one could only assume it was because John had knocked the wind out of him. 

”What the _hell_ are you doing here?” Dave asks, technically the third person to break the silence, he turns to Rose. “Rose, was John the visitor? Why didn’t you didn’t you just say so?” 

“You say that as if I _wouldn’t _preface my prediction with more hints relating to ghosts, prank, or any other John-related motifs if I was aware it had _anything_ to do with John.” Rose says, “For the record, no, I _didn’t _see John coming.”____

___“Rose!” John exclaims, coming forward and wrapping his arms around her. A little surprised, but still happy to see him, Rose returned the hug in the least awkward she could think of. He let go, a big smile on his face. “I’m glad to see you’re back to your old self. I knew we’d find a cure for your stubborn throes!”_ _ _

___She smirks, holding back a laugh. “It’s good to see you too, John.” She says, mostly at a loss of words. Almost immediately after, Dave speaks up._ _ _

___“Hey, it’s good and all that you’re probably going to go through a long reunion sequence with everyone, me being next, but you never answered my question.”_ _ _

___“Oh yeah! Sorry Dave.” John turns to Dave sheepishly, as if he forgot Dave asked a question “Good to see you by the way.”_ _ _

___“Same here”_ _ _

___“Back to your question, there isn’t really a big reason. I mean, other than wanting to see you guys again.”_ _ _

___“If that’s the case, then where’s Jade?”_ _ _

___“Oh! She’s back on a Prospit ship she took from the Battlefield. She fused with Bec and now she has all these crazy first guardian powers, in addition to the normal crazy space powers.”_ _ _

___“Hold on for _one goddamn minute_.” Karkat said, only now apparently recovering from John’s body slam. “Did you say Jade fused with her freak of a lusus? The same lusus that was fused with your rouge agent which could teleport at will? Why isn’t she here with you?” _ _ _

__“Oh right! Well, Jade could only serve as a gateway to the green sun. She can’t teleport here herself. Also, good to see you Karkat, and sorry again for body slamming you like that.”_ _

__“Apology not accepted and it’s awful to see you too.”_ _

__“Geez, Karkat,” Terezi sighs. “At least _pretend_ to be nice.” _ _

__“Hey, John and I both know this is the nicest I’ll ever be.”_ _

__“Wait, so you left Jade alone on the prospit ship she commandeered from the battlefield?” Rose asks, drawing attention back to her._ _

__“She’s not really alone.” John clarifies. “She even told me she had the population of five planets to keep her company. Which included our sprites, like Nanna and Davesprite. So already she has good companions to keep her company. ”_ _

__“Aren’t you the least bit bothered by that?” Dave asks. “I mean, John, you just met your sister for the first time, and yet you just jumped at the chance to join your other friends? Aren’t you the least bit bothered by that._ _

__“Well… yeah.” John admits, “But at the same time, I just really wanted to meet you all! Especially Vriska. She’s here too, right?”_ _

__The meteor went dead silent, as if John had just presented everyone with a grenade that had just lost it’s pin. Dave was about to open his mouth, but Karkat quickly elbowed him. He steps forward._ _

__“Okay, John.” Karkat begins with a sigh. “Look I don’t… I don’t really know how to put this without seeming shitty, and I know that’s kind of my thing whenever I talk to you, but at the very least I don’t want to be a lying asshole. Vriska’s dead, and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you after it happened.”_ _

__“Oh.”_ _

__”Terezi killed her, but don’t get pissed at her, okay? It wasn’t an easy decision for her either. I mean, no matter what there was it going to be an outcome that didn’t end in bad shit for everyone involved, including Vriska.”_ _

__“… I get it Karkat.” John says looking down._ _

__“Are you sure? Because I know Terezi—” “Karkat! It’s fine.” He reassures. “I mean, I liked Vriska, and maybe I didn’t know everything about her, and I know a lot of it was probably bad, but I’m not going to hold anything against Terezi.”_ _

__“Thanks John.” Terezi says. “You’re actually not as much of a wiener as I thought.”_ _

__“Terezi, I don’t think name calling is terribly appropriate considering the situation.” Kanaya whispers in a scolding tone._ _

__“Okay, so, is our little meet-up all up and exposition done so we continue waiting for our visitor, or does John want to meet the other new trolls?” Dave asks. “I’m only asking because it was implied that we need to get going right away.”_ _

__“We do, but only once our visitor arrives. It shouldn’t be long now, and we have time.” Rose says._ _

__It didn’t take long for John to get acquainted with Aradia and Sollux until the Mayor arrived. It was only then that their adventure began, with Aradia and Sollux sending them on their journey. In retrospect, introducing John to two new people only for them to stay back and most likely never see again was a little strange. But, at the same time, maybe not all that unheard of._ _

__It had only been a few hours since departure, and most of the time was spent exploring the meteor, planning ways to spend the next three years. As far as Rose was concerned most of it would be spent studying or planning, but she was also concerned about going stir crazy. She wished she had enough foresight to bring along her psychology books. If not for light reading material then at least for advice on how to avoid the symptoms of cabin fever. She had a feeling these were going to be a long three years. Walking around the meteor, she found herself in a library and spotted John sitting at one of the tables with books already stacked up on top. Looking over his shoulder, she could see he was reading a large book with diagrams she could only assume were explains the process of pranks._ _

__“Hello John,” She says, knocking him out of his stupor. He turns, but his surprised expression fades and turns into a smile upon seeing her._ _

__“Hey Rose. Is this your first time finding the library?” He greets. Rose moves over to the unoccupied chair across from him, taking a book out from the stack and thumbing through it._ _

__“Not exactly. I found a little while ago, but you’re the only other person I’ve seen in here thus far.” She says. “Are you reading Sassacre?”_ _

__“Yep. I figured I might as well get started, since we’re going to be on the meteor for so long. Oh! And speaking of reading.”_ _

__He stands up, and a large stack of books almost as tall as he is suddenly thud on the floor. Rose jumps, closing her book and getting up to look at the stack. She recognized all the titles, and realized they all came from her bookshelf. She took the one from the top and began thumbing through it, recognizing_ _

__“Before I left, Jade said I should pack some things. I packed most of my stuff, but I figured you guys might be bored too, so Jade let me visit you and Dave’s houses and get stuff you guys might want. I choose pretty much everything from your bookshelf. Plus, I alchemized copies so your bookshelf wouldn’t look so empty when you got home. Also for safety reasons.” He explained. “I didn’t take clothes or anything like that, because I thought it would be weird to rummage through your drawers. But I did bring your violin! Y’know, in case you feel like playing.”_ _

__Rose breathed a sigh of relief, hugging the book close to her chest. “Thank you, John.” She says, standing up. “By the way, I wanted to apologize.”_ _

__John looks confused. “Uh… for what?”_ _

__“Back when you arrived on the meteor.” She says, “I feel guilty about not speaking to you more. Especially since the last you saw me, I was Grimdark and using Black Speech.”_ _

__“It’s not a big deal. There were a bunch of other people there, so I guess it was difficult for you to get a word in. “_ _

__“I’m… also sorry about Vriska.” Rose struggles to say. “As well as our parents. The latter of which I tried to tell you, but Eldritch filters prevented me from doing so.”_ _

__He paused._ _

__“Thanks.” He says rather awkwardly. “I feel like I should be saying something more poignant, but I don’t really have anything. Sorry about that.”_ _

__“Don’t worry about it.” Rose says, waving her hand dismissively. “I meant to ask you this, but what was your relation to Vriska? I know she was your patron, like Kanaya was with me, but was there perhaps something more?”_ _

__“It’s… weird.” John says, sitting down. “I mean, I _liked _Vriska and I thought she was really cool! But at the same time, thinking it over, I didn’t really know anything about her. Then she talked me after killing someone, and she started telling me about Trolls and how she was raised, and I still liked her after that. Then I went to go fight Jack with you, and when I woke up she was trying to contact me through your headset. She left me a bunch of messages telling me what she was going to do, what _I _should do, and then asked me out on a date. Then I tried to answer her, but it was only Karkat, and that brings me here.”_____ _

___“So, did you answer her on account of her asking you out?” She inquired, genuinely curious._ _ _

___“A _little_ bit.” John admits. “I also did it to tell her I did what she told me to do, which was kiss you. To wake up your dream self.” _ _ _

__“… Right.”_ _

__“But anyway, I figured I should bring a lot of Cage movies like she suggested, so we could date, but… yeah.”_ _

__“So, did you perhaps come to the meteor with the explicit purpose of taking Vriska up on her offer?” Rose pesters further._ _

__“Kind of? I already wanted to see you guys again, but I figured if Vriska was there then I had double the reason to go. The only thing holding me back was Jade being alone, but she assured me she’d be fine.”_ _

__“And do you believe that?”_ _

__He sighs. “I do and I don’t. I think she’ll be fine with Davesprite and Nanna, but I feel bad knowing I don’t even have as much of a reason to be here in the first place.”_ _

__“I see.” Rose muses. “So, essentially, you feel guilty about your feelings towards Vriska overpowering your familial and platonic ties to Jade, and the revelation of Vriska’s death makes one of your major reasons for coming to the meteor null.”_ _

__“You were psychoanalyzing me the whole time?!” John exclaims, but the offense in his tone was obviously playful._ _

__“John, you should know me well enough to know how I roll.” She brags with a smirk. “Regardless, I do feel as though this is an issue with you, and I’m willing to help you with it.”_ _

__“Heh, that’s actually nice to hear.” John says. “I’ve always felt like you psychoanalyzed us just to mess with us, but I’m glad to hear you’re willing to help.”_ _

__“Despite my chumhandle, I’m no therapist, but I do my best.” She shrugs._ _

__“By the way, I don’t know if this is something you feel like talking about yet, but… our parents.” He says somberly. “Do you think we should…?”_ _

__She purses her lips. “Well, only when you’re up for it. Are you?” John thinks for a moment. “Maybe not yet.” He says. “You?”_ _

__“Not yet for me either.” She agrees. “But we have three years.”_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This had a bit more Johnvris than I intended, but I have a soft spot for that ship as well. ~~Plus there’s no law against characters bonding over lost romantic interests… you just gotta be careful~~


End file.
